Adding parameters to your jobs

Adding parameters help to make your jobs more flexible and reusable. After you add parameters to your job, you can specify values at run time rather than hard coding them.

1. Open the job that you want to define parameters for.
2. Click Edit > Job Properties to open the Job Properties window.
3. Click the Parameters tab.
4. Enter the following information for the parameter that you are creating. Each parameter represents a source file or a directory.

   Parameter name

   The name of the parameter.

   Prompt

   The text that displays for this parameter when you run the job.

   Type

   The type of parameter that you are creating, which can be one of the following values:

   Parameter type	Description
   String	Used to specify a text string.
   Encrypted	Used to specify a password. The default value is set by double-clicking the Default Value cell to open the Setup Password window. Type the password in the Encrypted String field, then type it again in the Confirm Encrypted String field.
   Integer	Used to specify a long integer. This value can be -2147483648 up to 2147483647.
   Float	Used to specify a double integer. This value can be 1.79769313486232E308 to -4.94065645841247E-324, and 4.94065645841247E-324 to -1.79769313486232E308.
   Pathname	Used to specify a path name or file name.
   List	Used to specify a list of string variables. To create a list, double-click the Default Value cell to open the Setup List and Default window.
   Date	Used to specify the date in the format yyyy-mm-dd.
   Time	Used to specify the time in the format hh:mm:ss.
   Default value	The default value for the parameter, such as a directory path.
   Help text	The text that displays if you click Property Help in the Job Run Options window when you run the job.

5. Click OK to close the Job Properties window.

Results

Your parameter is added to your job. For stages that accept job properties as input, such as the Sequential File stage, you can use the job parameter as input.